ZULFIQAR AHMAD
ISLAMABAD: In a surprising move, Jahangir Khan Tareen, a close aide of Prime Minister Imran Khan, was removed on Monday as chairman of a task force on agriculture after a high-powered inquiry committee established that he remained one of beneficiary in the sugar crisis.
“Jahangir Khan Tareen has been removed as chair of task force on agriculture in light of findings of sugar and wheat inquiry report,” PTI leader Shahbaz Gill confirmed on his official twitter account.
Without elaborating any further, Gill also hinted at taking further action against those found guilty for the wheat and sugar crisis.
Tareen, who has also served as secretary general of the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), however, contradicted that he ever headed a task force on agriculture.
In a tweet made in haste with lots of typos, he said: “Hello hello, News bring reported that I have been “removed” as C’man Agri Task Force ….I was never chairman of any task force. Can anyone show me a notification with me as C’man?? Pl get your facts right people.”
“The sugar inquiry commission has been actively engaging with about 10 mills, including 3 of mine. We are sharing all records asked for. We have given free access even to our server. Nothing has been seized as we are fulfilling all requests. We have nothing to hide,” he also said in a follow-up tweet.
The development comes a day after Prime Minister Khan pledged not to spare those found guilty of creating and profiteering off the sugar and wheat crises once he received the detailed forensic reports of an FIA-led commission’s preliminary findings on April 25.
The high-powered inquiry body in its 32-page report last week termed the PTI government’s decision to allow the export of sugar unjustified as it had caused a 30 percent increase in its price.
The committee report had revealed that Tareen, the PTI stalwart, and then Federal Minister for National Food Security Makhdoom Khusro Bakhtiar were among the main beneficiaries.
Both went away with Rs1.03 billion subsidy on the export of sugar, paid out from the taxpayers’ money, which was equal to 41 percent of the total subsidy the Government of Punjab paid to sugar barons, according to the report.
The sources close to Tareen told Business Recorder that “JKT would challenge the findings of the committee on sugar and wheat crises, if it holds him responsible”.
